Here We Are, As In Olden Days
by rinabina
Summary: Bella and Edward have been friends forever but ruth be told, it's always been a little more than that. A holiday collection of the history of Bella and Edward - Past, present and future. E/B AU AH Mostly fluff
1. Chapter 1

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas  
Let your heart be light  
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight_

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas  
Make the Yule-tide gay  
Next year all our troubles will be miles away_

_Once again as in olden days  
Happy golden days of yore  
Faithful friends who are dear to us  
Will be near to us once more_

_Someday soon, we all will be together  
If the fates allow  
Until then, well have to muddle through somehow  
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now._

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2003 - Age 18**

She heard the music change downstairs. Another Christmas song was turned up _way_ too loud. Even still, a smile spread wide on her face. Muffled voices shouted their approval of the song choice and she heard it get louder. Ms Ella Fitzgerald at her best.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas._

_Let your heart be light…_

_Oh Christmas._

Bella adjusted her position on the cold, wooden floor of the attic in her house. Her back was pressed against stacked boxes filled with her childhood. Across the room, most of the boxes had been cleared for Charlie's abandoned attic-improvement project. Unused, wooded beams and nails were strewed across the floor. She smiled to herself as she imagined her father up here banging hammers and cursing. Charlie was definitely a man's man, but a carpenter he was not.

The light shining through the arched, paned window was a steely gray, as it always was this time of year in Forks. Outside, the blanket of fresh snow was a blinding white, but the forecast of heavy rain was going to wash it away in a matter of hours.

A muted buzzing made her jump and she quickly pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She had a new text.

_Where are you?_

Bella smiled and typed her response. _Attic. Bring sustenance._

She heard his duck feet clomping down the hallway below in a matter of moments. The familiar creaking sound of the stairs being pulled from the ceiling made her shift her position so she could see out of her hiding place to where he would be crawling through the floor.

Two hands reached through the opening first, and set two red, plastic cups down before the rest of him followed. Edward Cullen's mop of bronze hair was especially messy today. Bella smiled at the sight of her oldest friend. Her best friend. He lifted the glasses from the floor and looked around, eyes squinted in the semi darkness.

"Bells?" he asked softly. His voice was always soft. Even when he was just a kid.

"I'm here," she answered, craning her neck so he could see her around the boxes.

He smirked and walked over, gesturing to the mess on the other side of the room. "What he hell was your dad doing up here?"

She shrugged and took the drink he offered her. "Building his man-cave."

Edward laughed and leaned against the boxes to slide down next to her. Something inside one of them clattered and sounded broken. He shot her an apologetic grimace before sinking the rest of the way to the floor.

That seemed very ungraceful for a Cullen.

"All right. How much bourbon did Emmett put in the eggnog?" She sniffed her cup tentatively.

Edward grinned widely at her and now that he was close she could see the flush in his cheeks. "Lots."

They both laughed and she shifted closer to him so their arms were touching. This wasn't the first time they'd hidden in the attic together. In fact he'd probably known she was up here all along. There wasn't anywhere else to hide in her dad's old house.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, taking a long sip of his drink. She knew he would ask. He always asked.

She always answered. Eventually. "Hiding."

"Right. I thought maybe you were setting up the shadow puppet show or something."

That earned a laugh. "We haven't done that since like 1996!"

Edward shrugged this time. "It's never too late for a reunion tour." He prodded her with his elbow. "Bella, what's going on?"

She let out a big sigh. They'd been apart since the start of the school year and yet he _still _knew how to crack her. "I know this is the fifth Christmas without her but sometimes it just hits me. I feel like I owe it to Mom to step away and think about her."

His arm was up and over her head before she was done speaking. It settled comfortably around her small frame and she let her head rest against the crook of his shoulder. His voice was a familiar rumble in her ear. "I think it's good that you do that. Step away. You should." Her mother, Renee, had passed away nearly six years ago but sometimes Christmas brought on more memories than she could handle. Edward knew this and he'd been there to comfort her for all five years.

"Did anyone notice?" she asked, eyeing her untouched cup of eggnog and discarding it on the floor beside her.

Edward took another drink. "Alice was setting up a game or something. They seemed kind of busy."

She smiled and leaned into his arm. "How long have our families been doing this?"

He chuckled. "The Cullen-Swan Christmas Shindig? Jesus, I don't know. Nine, ten years?"

"Something like that."

"Remember when we were all kids and your mom would put out a plate of cookies to keep us busy?" Edward asked with a laugh.

Bella snorted. "Yeah and your parents would nearly have coronaries because they were store-bought and chock full of preservatives and crap."

"And then we'd be running around hyper all night like minions."

"Until my dad would put on Rudolph or something."

They sighed in tandem and he pulled her more firmly against him. "Good Christmas memories."

"Yeah," she agreed. Suddenly the eggnog was needed and she pulled away to reach for it. Edward released her from his embrace and settled back against the boxes of their hideaway.

He was right. There was LOTS of bourbon. "Holy crap," Bella hissed, swallowing thickly and setting the cup back down. "You weren't kidding."

Edward looked over at her and laughed, before offering his arm to her.

"What?"

He pointed at his own upper lip. "You've got shit on your face."

Bella rolled her eyes and made a show of wiping her face all over the worn, flannel of Edward's shirt. Eventually she stopped and kept her face pressed to his arm, inhaling the scent over her favorite person deep into her lungs. She missed him when he was gone.

"Flannel shirt, Edward? Really?" she teased when she pulled away. "I'd expect something more formal from a Harvard student."

He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Yeah, yeah."

"Your hair's a mess too. Are you sure you live in a dorm and not the back alley?"

He looked over at her and smirked. "You know, not all of us can look beautiful on a moments notice."

That made her heart stutter. Why did he _say_ things like that? Moments like these blurred the delicate line their friendship had endured for most of their lives.

He was wrong, anyway. Edward was _always_ beautiful.

"Um," he mumbled, then took another drink of his eggnog. "You know what I mean."

No, she didn't, but whatever. She was happy he was here, that's all she knew. She didn't realize how much she missed him all year until he came home for stuff like this. He was all the way across the country exercising his brain cells, and she was slowly finding her way through junior college trying to figure things out.

He never judged her though, and he never would. That much she was sure of.

"You're thinking about stuff again," he said, and she looked up from the floorboards to meet his familiar green eyes. The dimple at the corner of his mouth caught her eye. "We gatta get you out of your head, Bells," he said, tugging on a long strand of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder.

"Oh really?"

"It's Christmas and _I'm_ here. Let's talk about some stuff."

Now it was her turn to smirk. "So Alice brought Jasper, where's yours?"

"My what?"

"Your whoever. Weren't you seeing someone?"

He groaned. "Not really."

"But there was someone?"

He looked at his empty glass grumpily and she handed him her half empty one.

"There was, wasn't there?" she asked again, grinning as he downed her eggnog.

"I thought this was supposed to get you out of _your_ head not into mine."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, fine. Jesus. Her name was Tanya. It wasn't anything serious though."

Bella snorted indignantly. That was a lie. Edward always did serious. He was too polite not to.

"So why isn't she here?"

"We're not seeing each other anymore, obviously." He sounded agitated.

"Well she's an idiot," Bella said, before she could stop herself.

Edward's eyes flashed to hers. "She called _me_ an idiot."

"Why?"

He laughed through his nose and shook his head. "She saw the last email I sent you."

Bella thought back. That email had made her day but it wasn't anything unusual, for them. "What's wrong with that email?"

He was still smiling a secret smile. "Nothing, I guess. Anyway whatever. New subject."

They heard the music downstairs shift again. This time it was Mariah Carrey and they both groaned together. Alice's shrill, squeals of happiness followed the song change.

"Your parents are probably dancing right now," Bella said with a giggle.

"They're probably being disgusting under the mistletoe somewhere," he countered.

"We don't have mistletoe."

He looked back at her with that secret smile again. "That's a lie."

"No it's not. I've never seen an ounce of that stuff in this house."

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny, plastic spring of mistletoe. "You're wrong."

Bella's eyes widened and she snatched it out of his hands. "Hey! This is from that candle thing my mom used to put out in the entryway. I can't believe you pulled this off of it!"

He snatched it back. "I can put it back."

"Wait, why do you even have it?"

Edward reached up and placed the stolen, plastic branch on the edge of one of the boxes between them. It balanced precariously on the edge, over their heads.

"Because."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"No."

Bella's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "What do you mean, _no_?"

"You're not thinking about this. I already thought about this. _A lot._ Just hold still."

_Thought about what? _She lifted her hands to push him away but he caught them and held her fingers tightly within his own. "Bella, I swear to God if you don't stand still I'm not putting that branch back where I found it."

Her mouth dropped open but she was smiling. His hands were warm and familiar and…_Edward's_. _What was happening?_

"Now hold still," he repeated, leaning close. It was no secret that she'd spent plenty of time looking at his face in the eleven years they'd known each other. She'd had lots of thoughts about the fullness of his lips and the freckles on his cheeks. What kind of self-respecting female would she be if she hadn't?

This was different though. This time the thrill in the pit of her stomach made it feel like a good idea.

"Edward…"

He was close. Really close. Warning bells were going off in her head but she wasn't sure if she should ignore them.

"This can be your Christmas present," he murmured, grinning.

She clucked her tongue in disapproval. "That's so rude."

He shushed her once before leaning forward and kissing her on the lips.

It was weird and all kinds of wrong for their friendship but it was perfect.

He was perfect. He always had been. But this was perfect in a new way – a way she hadn't expected. His lips had been perfect since they day they met, but now they were against hers and they were more amazing than she imagined. So soft, and warm, and gentle as he pulled away to kiss her top lip. Then her bottom. Then both again, harder this time.

Bella didn't let him pull away, and he didn't try. One of his hands slid over the skin on her cheek and she reached to do the same.

Suddenly she didn't mind if the line was blurred.

She wanted it to be blurred all afternoon.

* * *

Ho ho ho! Meeeeerry Christmas! I'm back! For the holidays!

As many of you may remember, Mistletoeward has been around a while ago, and I had promised to complete him. Over various writing fits through the year, I've managed to cobble up enough content to finally give him the fic he deserves just in time for the holidays. I hope you'll read through Bella and Mistletoeward's brief history with me. It'll be mostly fluff...but a little angst. Just a little.

So happy to see you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 1994 - Age 9**

Bella had seen Edward Cullen alone on the blacktop at recess. He bounced a ball on his own or swung the tetherball around its pole. A lot of times he pulled his hood over his messy hair and pranced around the basketball court like he was the star.

In a way she admired him. She could never be brave like that. She was shy too, but leaning against the cool brick of the classroom and reading a book was more of her thing.

Sometimes he played with his sister, but she had lots of friends and they liked to giggle. Sometimes his older brother would let him play four-square with his friends. That never lasted long though. Emmet Cullen was a _really_ good four-square player.

Edward wasn't.

She heard a knock on her door and jumped from her seat on her bed.

"Bella, the Cullens are here."

She swallowed and felt the blush creep up in her cheeks.

New friends. New friends were hard to make.

She took the stairs one at a time, wishing she was retreating up instead of down. Wishing she could go hide in the attic and read instead of meet new people.

Her mother was at the door, talking happily with Mrs. Cullen. Her warm brown eyes swiveled to meet Bella and she smiled kindly.

"Hi Bella. Thank you for keeping Edward and Alice company. We shouldn't be too long."

Bella chomped on her lip and nodded before looking down at her shoes. Her mother invited them in and Bella saw Alice and Edward for the first time that afternoon. Alice was bouncing on her feet, the pom-poms on her Christmas sweater bouncing along with her. She clutched Edward's hand and dragged him through the door. He followed, eyes cast down like Bella's. She noticed he was wearing a Christmas shirt too, but not as bright as Alice's. It was plaid with green and red lines.

For some reason this made her smile. "Hi," she said, feeling brave.

Alice said 'hi' back immediately, but Bella waited patiently for Edward to look up. When he did, he smiled and lifted his hand in a wave instead.

"Can I see your room?" Alice asked, inching towards the staircase.

Bella looked up at her mother, who nodded as she led Mrs. Cullen into the kitchen to talk about whatever grown-up stuff they had to talk about.

With a shrug, she led the way up the stairs and heard four clomping feet behind her. When they crossed the threshold to her room she made her way to her bed and sunk down nervously. She slid her hands under her legs and waited.

Alice's dark eyes lit up at once and she clapped her hands as she flitted from one shelf to another. She talked about pink and dolls and ponies and flowers and anything else her eyes landed upon.

Bella listened to the smallest Cullen talk but her eyes were sill trained on Edward. Waiting. His expressive green eyes were traveling around the room, eyebrows lifted as he took in each corner the space. At last they landed on her bookshelf. She was about to follow him over when Alice popped up in front of her.

"Do you have any Barbies?"

Bella dug the plastic box from under her bed and opened it up slowly, cringing at the reality that someone would be unbraiding their carefully plaited hair and changing their specifically chosen outfits. She let out a sigh and grabbed two of her favorites before Alice had a chance.

She was surprised when Edward knelt down beside her and looked into the box. She liked the color of his hair. He reached a hand in and pulled out her only Ken doll. He looked back at Bella with a crooked smile on his face.

"Oh," she said at once, biting her lip. "We don't have to play…I mean. You can play something else." She looked over at Alice who was making two of the dolls talk to each other on the bed.

Edward shrugged. "I don't mind."

Bella giggled a little bit. "But they're _Barbies._"

His eyes shifted to his little sister. "I'm used to it."

She felt something then, something like a tug. She knew she wanted to be Edward Cullen's friend, even if she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he was a boy willing to play Barbies, or maybe it was because he went over to her books first.

Bella chanced a look back at Alice who was heavily engrossed in a battle between queen and princess Barbie then looked back at Edward. She wanted an excuse to take him to her favorite place. Then maybe he would want to be friends with her too.

"Can I show you something?" she asked, feeling braver still.

Edward shrugged.

"It's not in here. Will she be okay?"

He rolled his eyes and put the Ken doll back in the box. "Come on," he said simply, getting to his feet.

They walked out of the room quietly, Edward tailing slightly behind Bella. She took him into the hallway and pointed to the wire that was hanging from the ceiling. "Can you…?" He was taller than her, hopefully tall enough.

He raised an eyebrow. "Pull?"

She nodded and watched as he lifted his long arm and tugged. Edward's eyes widened as he saw the staircase lower from the ceiling with a few loud creaks. "Wow."

Bella smiled and pointed to the top. "Come on."

They clambered up into the drafty attic and she rushed over the tug on the cords of the two hanging bulbs. It was still light out so the dusty boxes were bathed in a warm, afternoon glow. Edward followed her to the corner where she had all of her things set up. A pile of quilts and pillows, some Christmas lights that her father had strung up on the boxes with duct tape, and of course, a pile of books.

She sunk down onto the quilt and gestured for Edward to do the same. He sat down on his knees beside Bella and looked around. "We don't have an attic," he said, looking at the stacks of boxes. "This is cool."

"My dad set this up for me," she explained, handing him a pillow. "I come up here to read. We probably shouldn't stay here too long with Alice downstairs but I wanted to show you."

Edward smiled. "I'm glad you did. What are you reading?"

Her hands closed on the top three books of her pile. "I just finished these chapter books. Do you read a lot?"

He nodded and took one of the books from her, flipping through the pages. The words were a lot bigger than the chapter books her mother read, but she was still learning.

"I see you reading at school," he said after a moment, looking up through his eyelashes.

"You can read with me sometimes," she said without thinking, then ducked her head and bit her lip. Did she sound too eager?

"Okay," was the quiet answer.

They shared a secret smile before she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Edward?"

He turned around to face his mother. "I'm here, Mom."

Mrs. Cullen smiled. "This is quite a place you have up here, Bella."

"Thank you Mrs. Cullen."

"Edward, darling, I'm all done here. Ready to go?"

He hesitated for a moment and turned to look back at Bella. She felt the tug again that she'd felt in her room. "Can I stay for a little bit, Mom? Bella and I were just about to read some books."

Bella could hide the smile that broke on her face. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly.

"Edward, it's rude to invite yourself over."

"He didn't," she chimed in. "I asked if he could stay. I didn't ask my mom though."

"Please, Mom," Edward begged, holding up the books for proof. "Not too long. Maybe just a little while?"

Something flickered across Mrs. Cullen's face and she smiled warmly at the pair of them. "You sure drive a hard bargain," she joked to her son. "I'll check with Renee. Just a little bit though, okay Edward? I'll take Alice with me to the store and pick you up."

"Okay, Mom."

She nodded then looked at Bella. "Good to see you, Bella."

Bella waved and watched until Mrs. Cullen's caramel-colored hair sunk back down the stairs. Edward crawled over to where she was sitting and plopped down beside her. "Can I read this one?" he asked, holding to book out for her to see.

She nodded and picked up one of her own.

There, in her favorite place, lit by the dim glow of the Christmas lights strung above their heads, Bella made a new friend.

Turns out it wasn't so hard after all.

* * *

**A/N: **Some of you may remember this one as well. One of my favorites. :) Sorry about the delay in posting. May post chapter 3 this evening. xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2004 - Age 19**

Bella poked absently at the pan on the stove in front of her. Keeping an eye on the sizzling onions wasn't distracting her nearly enough from the bomb Edward had just dropped on her.

"But…" she started, letting the handle of the wooden spoon rest on the pan. "That's in a week."

Edward was seated at the kitchen table and turned sideways in the chair to face her. "I know."

She shook her head. "Three weeks earlier than you were supposed to go back to school."

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know what you want me to tell you, Bella." His voice was tight – irritated.

Her thoughts were a mess. She had the three weeks all planned out. A day trip to Seattle with Alice and Jasper, a date in Port Angeles at the movies, cooking him dinner the night that Charlie was over at Billy's for the game. She wanted him to take her hiking and she wanted to kiss him on the rocky shores of First Beach. There were so many things they couldn't do during the year, split up by thousands of miles. She looked forward to Christmas and Summer break all year as she waited for the chance to _actually_ be Edward's girlfriend. Flesh and blood. Hand in his.

Her throat knotted tightly and she swallowed hard. Six months was a long time to wait. "Why didn't you tell me?" she choked out, voice small and hoarse.

She got a choice look for that comment and it made her feel worse.

"I _did_ tell you. Last summer. I told you that I was applying for an internship. I was on the alternate list until one kid got sick with mono last week and now…I'm in."

She repeated the words in her head. _I'm in. I'm in._ Away from her.

He narrowed his eyes from his seat across the room. "Why is this bothering you so much?"

Bella turned quickly back to the pot on the stove and dumped in a can of diced tomatoes.

The chair shuffled and she felt him step behind her. He was close but not touching, intimate but not encroaching. She could feel the warmth from his body at her back and she took a step back so she was pressed against him. He placed his hands on both of her shoulders and squeezed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. Curse her for having such a considerate boyfriend all the time. "New Year's Eve," she blurted out as she shook oregano over the bubbling sauce.

"New Year's Eve?"

She turned around to face him. "Yes."

Edward arched an eyebrow. "You're upset because you won't get a New Year's kiss from me?"

No. It was a cover, but it was true all the same. "I didn't get one last year." Last year he had tickets to see a concert with Jasper and Emmett in Seattle. Last year they hadn't expected that kissing each other at midnight would be so important. Last year it was all so new.

He bit back a smile. "That's not entirely true."

She cursed under her breath as memories of his porch after midnight two days later flooded her vision. She had snuck out of her house to see him. They'd kissed in the dark until the sun started to peek through the trees. He had to drive her home before Charlie woke up.

He eyed her curiously when she didn't answer. "Baby, I kiss you all the time. I'll kiss you a thousand times before I go. What can I do?"

She turned back to the pan on the stove. "It's fine, Edward. I know it's an important internship."

Edward sighed and he dropped his hands from her shoulders. His footsteps moved away from her as he gathered placemats, plates and silverware to set the table. He'd been over for dinner two nights in a row now. Tonight was the last night before Charlie gave her a, "let's give it a rest" talk and she and Edward would be back to throwing pebbles and sneaking out windows. She watched him as he placed the fork on the left and a knife on the right, adjusting them ever so slightly so they were straight. He looked back at her as he set the salt and pepper on the table.

"It _is_ important. Doing real work in Chicago before I graduate will really improve my chance of getting a job right out of college."

"I remember when you told me," Bella said earnestly as the guilt started eating at her insides. "I wanted you to get it."

He smiled at her admission and walked back over to join her at the stove. "I know you did."

Bella bit down on her tongue and stirred at the boiling pot of spaghetti.

Edward leaned over her shoulder and pressed his lips to the back of her head. "Bella, you have to tell me what's wrong."

When she set the lid back on the pot she turned in his arms. He slid his hands up and down her back as she tried to form words in her mouth. "It just…it feels like you're leaving early on purpose."

He raised his eyebrows.

"So you don't have to be with me."

His brows fell again. "Bella," he said in a stern voice. "You don't really think that."

She shrugged pathetically. "It's been a year now…"

Edward sighed and pulled her away from the stove. He grabbed both her hands in one of his and turned down both burners with the other. "Come here," he said, tugging her towards the table. She followed obediently, soaking up the comfort of his warm hand around hers even though she was confused and afraid at the intensity of his voice.

He was either going to confirm or deny her suspicions. Both equally frightening, as far as she was concerned.

When they reached the table he sat her down on the chair and sunk down to his knees in front of her. Her hands were still clasped tightly between his. "You remember that we've been friends since we were seven, right?"

"Six," she said.

He grinned. "Since we were six. All those times we read books and played cards and worked on homework and drove to school together?"

Bella nodded.

"It was never enough."

Her eyes flicked down to their hands as a red-hot blush spread over her cheeks. She chewed on her lips between her teeth.

"I've been waiting a very long time to be your boyfriend, Bella." He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her eyes. "A year isn't _nearly_ long enough for me to want less time with you."

She tried to hide her smile but it was too big to be stopped. Her heart was pounding in her chest in a way that only Edward seemed to inspire. He was still smirking at her, glorious pink lips pulled up to one side. His emerald eyes were sparkling in the dull fluorescent glow of the kitchen. Without thinking, she grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him on the lips. It was the kind of kiss Charlie hated seeing and the kind he always seemed to walk in on - including that moment.

"Is dinner almost ready, Bells?"

Edward jumped to his feet and Bella knocked the kitchen chair over backwards. Charlie's face was stern and his hands were balled into fists at his side. "Just about, Dad," she managed, before she hurriedly righted the chair.

He backed out of the room and she cursed to herself. There was no way Edward was coming over for dinner for at _least_ another four days.

"Oops," Edward mouthed quietly as Bella hurried over to the stove to drain the pasta and dump it into the sauce.

"It never fails," she said, as Edward pulled a large, ceramic bowl down from the cupboard and placed it next to her on the counter. "He only walks in when I want to _really_ kiss you."

Edward let out an amused chuckle. "He's not in here now."

"He will be," Bella snorted as she dumped the pasta and sauce into the bowl. "Grab the salad from the fridge, would you?"

"Yes, but first," Edward took the bowl from her hands and set it back down on the counter. "Are we okay?"

Bella sucked in a slow, deep breath and let it out before nodding. "Yes. Thank you. I want this for you, I really do. I'll just miss you."

"You can come visit me," he offered with a silly grin.

She scowled at him. "I've known you for way too long for you to flaunt your family's wealth in my face. I could never afford a ticket and I won't accept it as a gift from you."

"Aw come on," he teased. "I'll have a dorm room all to myself." Edward waggled his eyebrows and she jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.

"Fine, fine," he relented, taking her hands to avoid another jab. "You should know something though, Bella Swan."

She smiled. "What's that, Edward Cullen?"

He wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger and tugged. "You should know that I love you and I'm not going anywhere. Preferably ever."

With that, he released her, opened the fridge and put the salad on the table as though nothing else had happened. Edward walked out of the room to grab Charlie and Bella covered her gaping mouth with her hand.

_He loved her_.

Out loud!

"Bells, you eating, or what?" Charlie prompted loudly, gesturing towards the table where he and Edward were sitting, waiting. Edward was grinning at her with his chin resting on his tented hands.

"Oh, right. Just um…getting the bread."

* * *

**A/N: **Damn these kids and their cuteness. Thank you to EVERYONE who has commented, retweeted and left me reviews. I'm so happy to share this with you over the holidays and I hope you continue to enjoy it. It means so much to hear from all of you.

Another chapter tomorrow!


	4. Chapter 4

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 1996 - Age 11**

The first time Edward realized he was in love with Bella Swan was the first time they watched _White Christmas_ together.

They were sitting side by side on the faded green sofa in the den while Renee baked cookies in the kitchen. The fireplace was lit and crackling gently in the small room. The house smelled like gingerbread and the clattering of baking sheets and Renee's less than polite swearing were subtle background noises to the film. Bella was braiding a friendship bracelet that was pinned to her pant leg, threads sprawled in her lap like spaghetti.

Edward tried to watch the movie, but spent more time watching her fingers tie knots and switch colors as she wove her way through the bracelet.

Every now and then, she would point and sigh. "I _love _this part."

His eyes would shift to the TV with a roll since he knew this movie was for girls. All of it. There was no part that would appeal to him. Except maybe the tall, goofy guy. He was kind of funny.

Edward nodded and chuckled when he was supposed to while Bella swooned and sighed at all of the songs. He was about to start knotting thread at random to have something to do when the two main actors sat at a piano together. Suddenly he was transfixed.

They reworked a song together, hands overlapping on the keys, his arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind and the audience was supposed to know that they were in love.

His eyes shifted sideways to Bella, who was watching with a stupid, pretty grin on her face.

_Love_…

Bella sat with him at the piano all the time. Her bony shoulder was always up against his, her feet kicking petulantly at his shoes as he tried to reach the pedals. He played better when she was there watching him and he liked to show off. The piano was the only place where he _didn't_ feel awkward or goofy. Where his long fingers looked less like wings and more like hands. Where his big feet had purpose, other than slapping the ground as he walked.

The piano was where, he liked to think, Bella liked him best.

The song on the screen ended but he kept his eyes on Bella, hoping she wouldn't notice.

He knew his parents were in love. He knew because they were his parents and they were married. He'd seen them dancing around the living room when Frank Sinatra came on the stereo. His father kissed his mother on the cheek when she cooked or was at her desk. They held hands sometimes too.

Bella's parents were in love, but in a different way than his parents. Charlie grabbed Renee from behind and hid his face in her neck. Sometimes they held hands under the table at dinner.

Was that was love was? Little traditions?

He and Bella had lots of traditions and each one was his favorite. If they were late to the bus stop, he'd carry her bag as they ran. They watched movies like this on Saturdays when they hung out. She'd sit with him on the piano…

And still there was that _thing_ in his chest. That thing that made his heart speed up and slow down when she was around. The spark on their skin when he touched her on accident. It made his ears burn sometimes.

"Ok I'm bored," Bella announced, throwing the thread from her fingers and pressing pause on the remote. "Let's go play outside."

Edward smiled to himself and stood up to turn off the TV.

"Okay."

* * *

**A/N:** Oh hello, Edward's head. Lucky us, we get to stay there for another chapter ;) I like showing these mature side of the kids, and then leaping back to when they were zygotes. It's so cute. I haven't watched White Christmas yet, have you? It's a tradition. Thank you again, and always for all of your reviews and kind words. So happy you're enjoying the story! xx


	5. Chapter 5

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2005 - Age 20**

He wasn't sure if it was the distance that kept them from making love, or mutual shyness regarding the subject. They'd been close a few times, but never _that_ close. He thought about her 'that way' all the time, but usually in private.

Sometimes not. That was always embarrassing.

He stood outside her window with one hand on the tree that grew alongside it. Her light was on in her room and he saw shadows flit back and forth on the trunk of the tree as she walked in front of the window. Pacing probably.

Edward smiled down at his shoes.

They'd talked about this. They'd talked about it a lot. Their semesters apart were growing more and more difficult. After two years, he was about ready to give up school and move back to the Pacific Northwest just to give their relationship a real chance.

_That wasn't really true_.

The sentiment was true though. He'd give anything for Bella. Hopefully she knew that by now.

When they were reunited over Christmas vacations, their families had to deal with their closeness and time together. It was a given. Edward tolerated his brother's gagging hand motions and his sister's rolled eyes. He ignored the pointed looks from his father and instead paid attention to the slow smile that spread across his mother's face every time she saw he and Bella together.

She knew. He knew. Bella was his one.

Tonight was something different though. Tonight was the last night before he left again for the East Coast, and he wanted to share something with her. Something to make it real…and forever.

Suddenly Bella appeared in the window above. She leaned out with her hands on the sill and looked down at him with a smile on he face. "What the hell?" she whispered.

Edward grinned and started his well-travelled trek up the ancient tree trunk. She held out her hand when he reached the top and helped him inside with as little noise as possible. Charlie went to bed early and slept like a bear in hibernation. Edward couldn't think of a more convenient trait at the moment.

Most of the time they curled up in bed and talked. Or kissed. Or touched.

He'd made Bella come apart in this bed more times than he should remember. That went both ways, of course. A shudder ran up his back and he reached for her quickly, eager to feel her warm body against his own. She was so soft and familiar.

Bella molded herself to his tall frame and wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers playing idly in the hair at the nape of his neck. He hid his face in her neck, absorbing every ounce of warmth that he could.

"I've been waiting for you," she said in that deep, raspy voice she saved for times like these. Right now his voice went straight down south. He felt his ears turn red.

He cleared his throat. "I know. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

Edward pulled back so he could see her face. A shy smile pulled at his lips. "I was thinking about how much I love you."

She bit her lip and let out a little hum before pressing her face to his chest. "That's funny. I was thinking the same thing."

"Curious," Edward mumbled into he hair.

Eventually, Bella lifted her head and met his eyes with a steely resolve. She was a brave girl, far braver than he was. She had dealt with more grief and sorrow than he could handle. However, sometimes he wished she would allow herself to be afraid. Sometimes he wished that he could be the one to make her brave.

Times like tonight.

When she was about to give him a huge part of herself. She _should_ be afraid. He was scared shitless.

"Bella," he said softly. His voice was low and rumbly and his throat felt dry.

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips firmly over his, effectively silencing his voice and his thoughts. His arms wrapped tightly around her body, pulling him close.

"Maybe we shouldn't have planned this," he said frantically, when she pulled away.

Bella rolled her eyes. "No way, I've been thinking about it all day."

He tried not to smile. "I know but are we pushing ourselves too much? This is a…big deal. Especially for you. I–"

She placed a finger over his lips and shook her head. He kept his eyes on hers as she backed up two steps and crossed her arms over her front. She grabbed the bottom of her tank top and lifted it over her head. When she dropped it casually on the ground, she stared back at him. Challenging him.

Edward shook his head and smirked.

"Edward, I want this. I want you."

His heart stumbled and he had to suck in a deep breath. Bella wasn't normally reckless in her every day life, but she was with him. On the east coast he was a risk-taker, trying new sports and attending parties. With Bella he was different. She was so _precious_. Every moment with her was a gift and he refused to waste them.

"Maybe we should just see what happens. Not plan it."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Fine. We'll see what happens tonight when we probably have sex for the first time."

When the words left her lips they seemed to finally affect her. Edward watched as her cheeks started to flush. She looked down at her bra-clad chest and chewed on her lips.

"Bella."

Her head snapped up and he held out his arms. She stepped into them easily and cocooned herself in the crook of his arm. "I guess this is pretty real, isn't it?"

"Very real," Edward murmured into her hair. "But so are my feelings for you."

She pressed her nose to the skin directly above her shirt collar. When she exhaled her warm breath slipped under the cotton and over his chest. "Mine are too."

She pressed her lips to his neck slowly and meaningfully. He closed his eyes and felt the goosebumps spread over his arms.

"Edward," she whispered.

He knew what was coming next. He didn't know how, but he knew. "Yes?" he breathed, eyes still closed.

"I want you to make love to me tonight."

Ever so slowly, he opened his eyes and looked down at her. The steely resolve was back. Edward nodded.

Her ivory skin was pale against the dark floorboards of her room. When his hands closed around the curves of her hips, he moved them up slowly over her ribs and under her arms. His thumbs moved over the sides of her breasts. Bella gasped and closed her eyes.

Edward smiled. Even ballsy, reckless Bella couldn't rise above the simple sensations only _he_ could bring her.

He pulled her closer and lowered his head towards hers. She lifted her chin and met his lips at once.

There was nothing chaste about their kisses tonight. They were heated and desperate. Bella started backing them towards the bed, hips gyrating against his in a subtly purposeful fashion. He laughed against her parted lips.

"You _have_ been thinking about this," he mused as she climbed on the bed and turned towards him on her knees. She was his height this way.

She looped her arms over his head and kissed his ear slowly. "_So _much."

A chill ran down his spine and he moaned softly in the darkened room.

She shushed gently in his ear and tugged him towards her. Edward lifted his shirt over his head before lying down beside her on top of her comforter. As soon as they were comfortable he felt her hand tugging at the button on his jeans. He grabbed her fingers and held them between his hands.

"Baby," he breathed, smile playing on his lips.

Her wide eyes lifted to meet his.

"Give me some credit," he said. "Let me take this slow. Let me do this right. We have all night."

Bella bit her lip and he could see her cheeks darken. Bashful Bella was back. She curled her fingers around his cheek and she leaned in for a kiss. While their lips moved softly together, his hand snaked up her waist to her hip where his fingers slid over her skin. It was so warm and soft. So, so smooth. He'd been here before though. He'd pressed countless kisses to the hard bone of her hip and the soft bit of skin by her belly button. He'd licked trails of hot breath up her sternum to the underwire of her bra.

His hands moved higher and higher. He'd been there too, nestled between the soft mounds of her breasts. "Bella," he breathed against her skin, pressing his forehead to her chest.

"Please," she begged, gasping for breath. "I know you want to do this right," she rasped, pulling hard on his arms so he'd lift his face and kiss her. He covered her mouth for a needy kiss.

"…but I don't want to wait anymore," she finished, looking him in the eye. "Edward I love you, so much. I want to do this. I want you to make love to me. Please don't make me wait."

When he lifted his head again he felt the carnal desire growl in his chest like a coiled dragon. He wanted her so badly.

"What do you want, baby?" he asked, needing to hear it again.

"You, Edward. I want you." She swallowed. "I trust you."

His brain blacked out between that moment and when he ended up naked on top of her, condom already rolled in place. They'd been like this before, naked and tangled but never like _this_.

Never with a condom wrapper on her nightstand and wide eyes. She drew her knees up around his hips drawing her closer. His breaths shuddered with each pull and he wanted so badly to do this. To share this with her - with Bella.

"Please," she said again, and he could not deny her any longer.

After that, his brain turned into a pile of mush, a collage of colors and sensations. Bella's face was all he could see, her breaths all he could hear, and as for what he could feel – well, that was easy to describe.

When his senses returned, not _nearly_ long enough after they had disappeared, he lie still in her arms, lulled into a trance by the gentle trails her fingers were making up and down his back.

"I'm sorry I couldn't…I mean…I know it wasn't–"

"Shh," she silenced him harshly. "Don't you dare, Edward Cullen."

He smiled into the skin of her neck.

"I have never been happier than I am in this moment. It was perfect."

He closed his eyes and inhaled another deep breath. It was a few minutes before she spoke.

"I feel like Charlie is going to know what happened," she mused, busy working her fingers through his hair now. "Like he's sitting on his bed, mortified and waiting for it to be light out so he can bust in here."

Edward's stomach sank. "Dear God, I hope that won't happen. The fact that your dad likes me is one of the few things I have going for me."

Bella giggled and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders. "I wish we were adults so you could stay over."

"I know." He bent down to kiss her softly on the lips. "I could stay until early morning, but that might be pushing our luck."

She nodded sadly. "Charlie probably _would_ come in and bust you then."

He shivered at the thought.

"But…" Bella started quietly, lightly tracing her fingers over his bare chest.

He smiled wide in the dark. "But?"

"You could stay a _little_ bit, right?"

Edward turned in her arms and pulled her tightly to his chest. "Maybe longer than that."

* * *

**A/N: **Oh look, I sprung that on you, didn't I? Do de doo. This isn't going to be a lemon-heavy fic, this is probably about as explicit as it gets. I like it better that way, sometimes. I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for all of your kind feedback and reviews, and for those of you that have shared this story with others. Glad to see that many of you enjoy watching White Christmas during the holidays too :)

See you tomorrow!

Oh, and P.S. A reviewer asked for me to post the ages of the kids in the chapters. I think that's a swell idea. Updating the chapters to show that :) Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 1998 - 13 years old**

The air was so dusty and cold that it stung her throat when she inhaled. That, and she'd been nursing a nasty cold for almost a week now. Bella pulled the quilt tighter around her shoulders and pressed her face into the musty cotton. When she tried hard enough, sometimes she swore she could still smell her mother.

Even if she couldn't, it was nice to pretend.

Another round of tears started falling from her eyes and onto the quilt. She curled up into a tighter ball and hugged her knees to her chest. Lying on the floor in the attic probably wasn't the most comfortable solution, but no one would find her up here.

No one she didn't want to, anyway.

She heard his footsteps the moment the thought crossed her mind. Hurried footfalls on the stairs, graceful clomping down the hall and a hurried tug on the pull-down stairs. His breath was coming quickly as he pulled himself through the floor.

"Bella," he breathed, pulling the stairs up behind him and rushing to her side. Edward fell on his knees beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked in a low, calm voice that wrapped around every part of her that mattered and squeezed her as tightly as one of his hugs.

"It hurts," she managed, voice raw with her cold and crying. She sniffed loudly to enhance how pathetic she felt and Edward's hand move over her arm and around her back in a wide arc.

"Oh Bella," he sighed. She could tell he didn't know what to say.

"It feels so empty without her, especially now. I don't know what to do." As she said the words she felt the chasm in her chest open even wider, surrounding her lungs, her heart, and her stomach in pitch-black darkness. She tightened her arms around her knees and squeezed.

"You have me," Edward said in a small voice. His hand pressed hard into her back and he leaned in closer. "Use me, Bella. You can tell me everything."

She let out a sob and hid her face in the quilt she had nested herself in. Edward pressed his face into her arm as she cried, matching his breaths with hers. He was folded awkwardly on the floor, long legs bent underneath him. He was so _tall_ now that sometimes it amazed her when he could still fit up here in this space at all.

When she calmed down after a few minutes, she felt his hands tug on the quilt, pulling her arms from around her knees, and up off the floor. He moved over so that he was leaning against a stack of boxes and pulled Bella and all her quilts into his lap. His arms wrapped around her and he linked his fingers at her hip. Bella pressed her face flush to his warm chest and hugged him back with a sigh. She felt him press his cheek to her forehead.

"You always have me, Bella," he said again. His voice rumbled in her ear.

"I know."

"I mean it. I don't care what it is. You can tell me anything."

Her heart, which had been incased in darkness moments before, now felt larger than life. She didn't know what to do to thank him, so she turned her head and pressed a loud kiss to the cotton of his t-shirt, and his heart. "I will."

"I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"I know that too."

They said in the quiet for a few moments until Bella stopped sniffling.

"I remembered something from when we first met, do you want to hear it?" Edward asked softly.

Bella nodded.

"It's about your mom, is that okay?"

She smiled. "That's perfect."

"Remember how we stayed up here and read after my mom left with Alice?"

Bella nodded again.

"And your mom brought up those cookies for us after an hour."

She giggled. "And they were awful."

"Oh good," Edward sighed. "I was going to try and make a joke but I thought maybe they were your favorite cookies."

Her giggles continued until they were full blown laughter. "No!" she snorted, tilted her head back so she could see Edward's face. "They were _awful_. She said so after you left. 'That boy will never come back here now, Bella. I'm so sorry.'"

"Pffft," Edward teased, ruffling her hair. "As if terrible cookies could keep me away from you."

She plopped her head back down on his chest. "Or bad spaghetti sauce, or un-risen bread, or bad egg salad."

Edward groaned. "Don't mention the egg salad."

She squeezed him tightly around the middle. "Thank you, Edward."

He squeezed her back. "Always."

* * *

**A/N: **Good boy, Edward. Good boy. Thanks for your kind words yesterday. Posting naughties still makes me a little red in the face :)

See you tomorrow!


	7. Chapter 7

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2006 - 21 years old**

"I don't understand why _you_ can't make these," he stated, somewhat incredulously as she placed the canister of baking soda in front of him on the counter.

She lifted her eyes and lowered her eyebrows in a scowl. "Edward."

He reacted defensively at once. "What? You're the chef, not me. It's not like anyone would _know–_"

"My father would know."

Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "How?"

She waved her hands dismissively and walked to the pantry to pull out a bag of chocolate chips. "He's a cop. He knows things."

A resigned sigh echoed in the spacious Cullen kitchen and she smiled to herself in the darkness of the small room. When she emerged a moment later, Edward was studying the recipe intently. His long fingers were splayed over the dark, cool granite. As she reached his side she slid her hand up his arm in what she hoped was an affectionate gesture.

He responded without looking up from the recipe and wrapped his arm snuggly around her shoulders. "Will you at least help me?" he asked, green eyes flicking to meet hers as he reached hesitantly for the mixing bowl.

Bella smiled and lifted herself onto the kitchen island, legs swinging back and forth. "Until I have to go home for dinner."

He rolled his eyes. "You're twenty one now."

"And?" She challenged him.

He laughed through his nose and shook his head. "I don't know. Can't you blow Charlie off this one time and stay here with me." He paused for a second and bit the side of his lower lip. He peered quickly over her shoulder, checking for parental invasion, then stepped between her legs. "My parents are leaving in an hour or so for the airport."

She was tempted to _'blow Charlie off'_ for approximately ten minutes as Edward's soft, familiar lips traced delicate patterns from her jaw to her mouth. Their time together over winter break was so precious to her. She treasured every kiss, every caress and every moment they could spend together.

Of course, she treasured the time she spent with her father as well and she didn't want to waste the few weeks she got to spend with him. After all, she would graduate in May and the likelihood of spending summers in Forks was dwindling. A few more months and who _knew_ what would happen. She and Edward had been making plans. Chicago plans. The more she thought of them, the more they gave her butterflies.

_Chicago with Edward._

He could tell that her thoughts were swirling over her head and he pulled back slowly, nose touching hers.

"What are you thinking about?"

Bella draped her arms over his shoulders. "My dad." Edward's face darkened until she added, "And Chicago."

He smiled. "I think about that all the time." After a second he clarified, "Chicago not your Dad."

She kissed him slowly on the lips. "Our own place."

He hummed in response, the vibrations traveling from her lips to her heart. "And our own bed."

Bella shivered. "Our own life."

Edward gave her one more quick, but meaningful kiss before taking a step back and inhaling a deep breath. He blinked his eyes and shook his head. "Anyway," he said, patting his hands on the top of her thighs. "What are we doing in here again?"

She giggled. "Cookies. Your family is leaving on a cruise _without_ you and you need to bring a hostess gift to the much smaller 'Cullen-Swan Christmas Shindig.'"

Edward quirked an eyebrow. "Are you calling your dad a hostess?"

"No, but it's not called a _host_ gift." She shoved him away. "Shut up, just make the cookies.

He backed away with his hands raised and stepped sideways to where she had set up his workstation. Bella watched intently as he carefully calculated the ingredients spread across the counter, the daunting profile of his mother's KitchenAid mixer and the variety of measuring vessels stacked before him. He ran a flustered hand through his hair. "Can I at least estimate?"

"No!" Bella cried, sliding off the counter and pointing vehemently at the recipe. "You have to measure. _Carefully_."

Edward's lips were pursed as he tried to hide his laughter. For some reason this bothered her more than it should.

"If you're not going to take this seriously–"

"Hang on," Edward interrupted, slipping his arms around her waist and looking at her intently. "I'm kidding around, Bella. I'm not going to mess these up, I'm just trying a little too hard to get you to make them for me."

She let out a small sigh. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just…" Her voice faded into nothing and she felt the all-too familiar lump rise in her throat.

Edward's head looked from her face to the recipe and back again before he placed a hand on the side of her face. He knew the look on her face all too well. "This is your mother's recipe isn't it?"

Bella nodded.

He closed his eyes and shook his head as he muttered, "Idiot."

When he opened them again they were wide and green and lovely and Bella felt the familiar tug inside that drew her closer and closer to Edward. "Bella," he said softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"I know."

"Why don't you go home and eat with your dad. I'll call you later when they're done."

His grip was tight on her waist but she knew he was right. He was more than capable of working out the simple recipe on his own and she _should_ go spend time with Charlie.

_Should_.

But 'flustered Edward' was such a rare occurrence. He made his hair stand on end from the constant tugging, his cheeks were flushed and his lips were pursed in the most enticing way.

"Bella?"

She took a step closer. "One kiss before I go?"

Edward smirked. "One kiss?"

"Just one."

It was Esme who broke them apart about seventy kisses later. The butter was melted on the countertop and the recipe was near forgotten.

* * *

**A/N: **Cookies, Edward. Edward, cookies. Winning combo, if you ask me. I like imagining Edward trying to bake and failing. It humanizes him, haha. Thanks for all of your kind feedback and support! I know I'll be posting tomorrow, will not be posting on Sunday. Just a heads up. Happy Friday! xx


	8. Chapter 8

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2000 - Age 15**

"That tree is never going to fit in there," she said without thinking, before clapping her hand over her mouth like she had uttered a bad word.

She watched and waited for Alice's reaction. The little sprite of a Cullen was standing with her back to Bella, overseeing the placement of the gigantic evergreen in the room. Alice flinched at the words and Bella waited with bated breath for her friend's scathing remark. Alice turned around, arms crossed and eyebrows lowered.

"Bella Swan," she growled, "How many Christmases have you known us?"

Bella swallowed. "Um. I don't know. Lots?"

"Have we ever had a tree that was too tall for the room?"

"No," was the meek answer.

Alice nodded. "Exactly." She turned back around with a huff and resumed her orders.

Bella had to admit that the Cullens did Christmas well. It suited them. She wasn't sure when Alice took over and started directing Christmas decorations like a stage production, but whatever she was doing, it worked. Bella would never be able to get away with this kind of behavior. Charlie would never stand for it. The Swan Christmas was much, _much _simpler.

Her family always put up a modest tree in the living room, hung a strand of lights on the garage and made cookies. Spending time with the Cullens over the holidays was like spending a few hours in the North Pole each day.

Kind of, sort of magical.

She couldn't imagine what the neighbors thought. 'Keeping up with the Cullens,' that's for sure. Thank goodness they didn't get too ambitious with external decorations. She couldn't imagine what that would look like.

Images of a sleigh and reindeer suspended over the roof flashed through her head and she stifled a laugh.

Bella was currently sitting cross-legged on the Cullen's white, leather sofa, where she was supposed to be doing her chemistry lab report with Edward. Instead she was smack in the middle of Christmas central and distracted to no end.

There were holly sprigs highlighting every corner, garlands on the mantle and tiny bundles of Christmas bulbs hanging off picture frames. Even Edward's grand piano in the corner had some sort of "winter-scape" on the top.

Bella couldn't help but giggle. He probably _hated_ that.

"Oh come _on_ Alice, really?"

_Speaking of_.

Edward was standing in the open doorway to the kitchen, jaw slack, eyes wide and finger pointing at his precious, defaced piano. He'd left a few minutes ago to gather snacks for the pair of them as they did their best to finish their homework. Now, his arms were spread incredulously with two non-threatening mugs of hot cocoa steaming from his clenched fists.

Bella bit down hard on her lip to keep from laughing.

"What?" Alice chirped, as though she didn't notice.

"You put that frou-frou shit on my piano _again_?"

Esme hissed from the other side of the room and Edward cringed. "Sorry Mom."

Alice hand both her hands on her hips. "Edward, it's not frou-frou, it's _festive_."

"It's my piano."

"Exactly, it's a focal point of the room."

He looked pleadingly over at Bella but she was too busy trying not to laugh to help him out. With an exasperated sigh, he made his way over to the sofa, placed their mugs on the table and sat beside Bella with a _thunk_. His long fingers pinched the bridge of his noise.

"Every year, Bella. Every. Year."

She patted his shoulder jokingly. "I'm sure you'll cope."

He rolled his eyes. "Can your family adopt me for the holidays?"

Bella smiled. "You'd miss this."

Edward chewed on the pink eraser of his pencil and nodded sarcastically as he eyed the papers spread on the table. "Yeah right."

Bella ruffled his hair before lifting her chemistry book back into her lap.

He_ would totally miss it._

* * *

**A/N: **Good morning! Sorry this update is so short. It was an original witfit prompt and it was supposed to be around 500 words. This is a bit longer, but I like this little snippet. He _would_ totally miss it. This one is a little more Christmassy and that makes me smile. I hope you enjoy it!

No update tomorrow, but I'll be back on Monday! Happy weekend! xx


	9. Chapter 9

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2007 - Age 22**

She wasn't used to being the center of attention. Especially not on Christmas. _Especially_ not with the Cullens around. Normally, they were excellent for deflecting attention. She could have done it if she really wanted to. Alice was wearing a reindeer antler headband and everything. That would have been a good diversionary tactic.

She felt her father squeeze her more tightly around her shoulders and she let her head fall against his chest. The attention wasn't so bad when it was Charlie who was giving it.

"So proud, Bella," he repeated, beaming at the rest of the people in the living room.

She pulled her lips into a tight, embarrassed smile and peered bashfully through her lashes at the smiling faces of the Cullens scattered about the room.

"College graduate and now a working woman."

"In a big city!" Alice chirped, popping a carrot stick in her mouth.

The mention of _that_ specific detail made her eyes shoot directly across from her, where her favorite pair of green eyes were smiling sadly. A big city. A big city half the country away from _his_ big city. She swallowed.

"I feel old now," Bella mused, diffusing the situation with awkward humor.

"Old?" Charlie barked in mock offense.

She shrugged. "Done with school. New job. So far away from being stuck in stupid Forks High School."

"You look good for your age." She could hear the smile in Edward's voice. That made her feel better.

She smiled back. "Thanks."

Edward shrugged and tried to hide his grin.

They talked some more about her new job high up in a skyscraper in Seattle before Alice really _did _change the subject. Bella let out a quiet sigh of relief as she felt all the eyes shift from her blushing face to where Alice was writing down charade topics on torn bits of paper.

Well, maybe not _all_ the eyes.

She watched as Edward stood up and moved towards the stairs. He held his hand out behind him and curled two of his fingers, gesturing silently for her to follow. Her hand was in his before they clomped on the fifth stair, and by the time they reached the top, his arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.

Bella knew where they were going without a doubt. Their stride didn't falter as he pulled on the wire from the ceiling and let the steps to the attic fall gently to the hallway floor. Bella went up first, feeling his eyes on her as she ascended into the dark, stuffy attic.

The sun was already setting and the room was cloaked in darkness. A thin sliver of brilliant copper light from the sunset was reflecting off a pane of glass, painting a strip of orange across the unfinished wooden floor. She felt Edward at her back, the warmth from his body enveloping her own. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and dropped his face into her hair. They stood together in silence and in darkness for what seemed like forever.

Bella let her eyes fall closed and focused on the warm licks of breath that fanned over her neck as he breathed heavily in and out. His thumb was moving back and forth over her hip and they were rocking gently on their feet.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered into her hair.

It hurt her heart every time he told her. She knew he was. Him above anyone. That didn't make the fact that their lives were about to change in a _huge_ way any easier.

"I know," she said, voice wavering slightly.

It grew silent again and the stayed in their tight, rocking embrace.

"I'm not ready for things to change."

They'd spend the first half of their year as graduates in the city where Edward had gotten his first job. Chicago. They had found a little studio apartment in a not-so-great part of town, thrown a bunch of posters on the wall and called it home. It was the opposite of glamorous but for them, it was perfect.

_He_ was perfect. All the freaking time.

Bella turned in his arms and pressed her face to his warm chest, his heart beating steadily in her ear. She could still smell the scent of _their_ home on his shirt. "I'm not either."

"You know things are going to be okay though, right?"

She blinked.

"Between us, I mean." He was mumbling now, fumbling awkwardly with the long mess of her hair. "We don't have to make any rules or draw any lines, right?"

Bella lifted her head and stared at him in the dark. The orange from the sunset had faded to a mere sliver and the only light in the room was through the opening in the floor behind them. She placed her hands on either side of his face.

"Edward."

He shivered slightly as his name left her lips.

"There's never been anyone else. There never will _be_ anyone else."

The apple of his cheek pressed into her palm as his lips lifted in a smirk.

"So calm the fuck down, will you?"

At this Edward let out a snorted laugh and he pulled her back into his arms. "I love you," he said, smiling into her shoulder.

Bella kissed his ear. "I love you too." She waited another moment before adding, "Now can we talk about something else? We only ever have serious conversations up here."

Edward hummed into her shoulder, tilting his head towards her neck so he could brush his lips over her skin. She shuddered. "Believe it or not, I didn't have pure intentions when I brought you up here."

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Oh," he repeated, kissing the curve of her jaw.

"What were your," she gasped as he flicked his tongue over her earlobe, "intentions?"

He hummed again and moved their bodies slowly towards the flat bit of wall behind him. They swiveled so she was pressed against the drywall. Edward held her there firmly with the pressure of his body against hers. His lips moved over her cheek to her mouth where he pressed several soft, lingering kisses.

It reminded her so much of that Christmas not too long ago, when he'd kissed her for the first time. They'd spent an awkward hour sheltered by her childhood memories, making some new memories of their own. When they'd emerged downstairs a bit later, cheeks flushed and lips swollen, Alice had been the only one who would meet their eyes.

She'd snorted and continued to the family room with her tray of Christmas cookies. "Finally."

Four years later and firmly cemented in their '_Finally_,' their trips to the attic were still just as exciting. Her heart still pounded just as hard as he spoiled her with perfect kisses and subtle touches. She was still as breathless as she'd been that first afternoon when he'd shown her that loving him slightly more than friends was an okay alternative.

Her head fell back against the drywall with a thud and she fought back the urge to moan as his lips closed over the hollow of her throat.

"The stairs," she managed, just as his hand slid over her hips and to her thigh where he tugged it gently so she would lift it. He groaned and ignored her request by kissing her.

"Pull up the stairs," she said again. He released her from his arms and moved to the side long enough to yank up the attic stairs so they were alone.

And so their sounds would be muffled.

This time when he pressed her to the wall it was with his hips. When he pulled up her leg once more, she let him lift her off the floor.

When he growled that he loved her she answered, "Forever."

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter is one of my very favorite pieces that I wrote for WitFit last year. I'm so happy to be able to share it in the context of a full story. Thank you again, so much, for all of your comments, reviews and support. I can't respond to all of you individually, but thank you for sharing little bits of _your_ traditions with me in your comments. It means a lot to me.

Also, some exciting news. _Here We Are _has been added to the Fic of the Week list on The Lemonade Stand. (As recc'd by the fantastic **Iambeagle**) If you feel so inclined, please take a look and vote for _Here We Are_.

Until tomorrow! xx


	10. Chapter 10

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2001 – Age 16**

It was cold outside.

It was cold and she was wearing a dress. Not the best combination.

Of course, she hadn't really intended on being outside in a dress in the dark it just sort of happened when she got stood up by her date.

Well, he didn't really stand her up. He cancelled. He cancelled 5 minutes before he was supposed to pick her up because his cousin got tickets to a game in Seattle.

Now she was waiting outside, too ashamed to go back in and tell her dad about what happened, because she knew he'd get protective. He'd probably run out to his cruiser and chase the boys down so he could pull them over for speeding.

No one needed that. She'd wait out here a little longer, until she came up with a better lie.

_He got sick on the way over._

_He got a flat tire and we decided to forget about it._

A snowflake fell from the sky and landed on one of her gloved hands. She saw another land on one of the tendrils around her face. Her chestnut hair had been smooth and shiny when she'd left the bathroom twenty minutes ago. Now the cold and moisture in the air was turning it into a frizzy mess.

She let out a loud sigh and watched the steam float from her lips into the dark, night sky.

What had she been expecting, anyway? It was a Sally Hawkins dance. Girls did the asking. He could have said yes because he knew Jessica Stanley would be there. Or Angela. Or Victoria. Someone else besides her. Odds weren't in her favor.

She would have asked Edward but he had a piano recital tonight. Alice had barely weaseled out of going to watch. Bella had been at the Cullen's house for the begging and pleading. Of course, Jasper would never cancel on Alice. Alice wouldn't have allowed it anyway.

Bella wished she could be that strong.

She looped her arms around her knees and pulled herself into a ball. The tulle against her cheek was rough and scratchy but it smelled nice, like the perfume she was wearing. Her dress was pale pink and lovely and she felt pretty, for once. She'd even tried to do her hair like a picture in _Seventeen_ magazine.

One of the curls slipped out of its bobby pin and bobbed against her cheek.

She heard the sound of tires on the asphalt and debated running inside so no one would see the sad, pathetic girl crumpled on her front step. The car didn't continue by the house though, it stopped. She heard the door open and close and footsteps on the drive. Her head stayed still on her knees, willing the observer to go away and leave her alone.

A pair of shiny dress shoes stopped at her feet and stared down at them. She knew those duck feet anywhere.

"Edward?" she asked, sitting up and staring into the shadows of his face.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" he asked, throwing his jacket off his shoulders and draping it around her shivering frame. "Bella, it's _snowing_."

"I know."

His hand closed around her upper arms and he pulled her up to her feet. His palms rubbed up and down over her arms, trying his best to warm her.

"Alice texted me," he explained without her having to ask.

Figured.

"Great guy," he snapped, starting to lead her towards her front door.

"No," she said suddenly, gripping the thin fabric of his dress shirt in her hand. "Not yet."

Edward lowered his brows and glared at her. "It's freezing."

She sighed. "I _know_, just not yet. Please? Charlie will freak out and go all…police chief on me."

He rolled his eyes heavily and pulled her back down on the step beside him before wrapping one arm around her shoulder.

"Did you leave your recital?" she asked, finally realizing why he was wearing his nice clothes.

"I was done and my parents had to leave anyway. Don't you dare apologize."

She ignored his last comment. "Why did you come here? It's not like he hurt me or anything." She grimaced at her words. Well he _did_ but not like _that_.

Edward shot her a look. "Really? Bella, you're sitting outside in the snow because some asshole stood you up. He did hurt you."

"I bet he doesn't have a clue," she said, exhaling another steamy puff into the night.

He shook his head. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Oh Edward. A girl couldn't find a better friend. Anywhere.

She was too moved to say anything. Instead she let her head fall down on his shoulder, smashing her curls into the starched fabric of his shirt.

His arm tightened around her. "I could kick that asshole in the nads," he hissed. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Her heart fluttered in her chest. "Well, that's a lovely juxtaposition of sentiments," she teased.

Edward laughed and poked her side until she squeaked and wriggled out of his embrace.

"So do you want to do something?" he asked, lifting his hands in tickle surrender.

The suggestion reminded Bella why she was out here and the hurt settled back down on her shoulders. She shrugged and chewed on her lip. She could still taste the lipstick.

It grew still around them as the snow continued to fall and the moon grew higher in the sky. Edward sat beside her silently, watching her as she pretended not to care about what had happened earlier. Suddenly her eyes clouded and her chest hitched.

"Hey," he cooed in her ear, as his arms slid easily around her. "Bella, hey, it's okay. Don't cry."

It was a good thing they were friends because she was going to ruin his pretty shirt with her snot and makeup. He was warm against her cheek and smelled familiar and safe. It made her feel better knowing that Edward would never leave her outside in the cold.

"Do you want me to take you? We could go. I'm already dressed."

She held him tighter at the thought. Her Edward, so sweet.

"No," she said quietly, sitting up and wiping her eyes as carefully as she could. "Thank you. Maybe we could do something else though."

Edward watched her quietly, eyes tight and brows puckered in the middle. He hated when she was upset.

This was no good. It was Saturday night, there was fresh snow, the moon was out. Enough. Bella sucked in a deep breath and stood up quickly from the curb. He watched her with wide eyes.

"Bell?"

She marched over to the snow-covered lawn and piled some snow in her gloved hands. Before she could convince herself it was a bad idea, she spun on the spot and pelted Edward with a soft, powder snowball.

The look on his face was priceless, his hair littered with clumps of fresh snow. His jaw hung open, a slow smile spreading on his face. He ran his fingers through his hair to shake the snow out and stood up off the step.

"Oh really?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Bella planted her feet, ready to bolt the moment he ran at her. "Really," she said, a second snowball already in her palm.

Edward nodded and shuffled his feet around before launching himself at her. Bella shrieked and ran further out into the lawn. The snow fell into her shoes and burned with cold but she was laughing and happy.

Thanks to Edward.

* * *

**A/N: **I don't have snow where I live. Never have. And although I know it's a pain and dangerous and cold, there's always something that's been magic about it for me. It gets so _quiet_. When I wrote this moment in my head, even though it's kind of sad, I just really wanted the snow to play a part. As of now, this is the last written flashback of these two as kids, before they kissed for the first time. Unless I get inspired before Thursday, this may be it for them.

As many of you may remember, what's coming up for our adult lovers is a little rough patch. Enjoy this bit of snowy fun before we may need some snuggles. I'm happy you all enjoyed my favorite chapter yesterday :) Thanks for sharing your thoughts. xx


	11. Chapter 11

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2009 - Age 24**

People weren't kidding when they said long-distance relationships were hard. She eyed the front door nervously as she thought about this. It had been a while since the reality had really hit home.

A while since she had seen Edward, that is.

She could still feel the slipping feeling when she thought about the previous year. She remembered feeling as though everything was slipping away when she tried so hard to hang on. The phone conversations were empty, and visits were full of angst and aggression, instead of relief and love. He had been mostly right; things weren't good and maybe they did need a break. But not a six-month break. Not a six-month silent treatment.

The last night they had spent together in her bed still weighed heavily in her head most nights, as she lay alone while the Seattle rain beat on her window. It hadn't been much different in June, really. Then, they were both staring silently up at the ceiling, trying to decide if when the said goodbye the next day, it would be for a long time.

At least she hadn't been alone, even if Edward was miles away in his head.

He had kissed her on her cheek when he left the next morning. Edward hadn't missed an opportunity to kiss her on the mouth since she'd tasted eggnog and bourbon on his lips all those years before.

She swallowed thickly and drew her attention back to her twisting fingers in her lap. She was traveling down a dangerous road. Safe to say, the rest of her year had been 'sub-par.'

She chewed on her lips as she stared down at her lap. The red polish on her thumbnail was chipped.

There had been an unexpected and unwelcome surprise in her duffel bag today. She'd discovered it while she was unpacking. A worn, faded black t-shirt that didn't belong to her. It was shoved in a deep corner of her bag and she had been so weak that she brought it to her face in an instant. Of course it didn't smell like him anymore. It didn't smell like their cramped Chicago home either.

It smelled like musty cotton and the bottom of her closet.

A sound from the kitchen made her jump and she looked at the clock anxiously. They would be here soon. Nerves bubbled high in her stomach and she felt sick. The gin and tonic her father had made her sat untouched on the coffee table, a slow puddle of condensation building on the coaster.

Edward hated gin.

Peter didn't hate gin.

She dropped her head in her hands and gripped her scalp almost painfully with her fingers.

Peter was a co-worker at the publishing house where she worked in Seattle. He wore nice suits and pretty ties but they were never as nice as Edward's. No one's would be. Peter was kind though, and quiet. He took her to lunch her first day and they ate lunch together every day after that.

One night, last month they went out for drinks after work and Peter revealed that he'd had a reason for taking her out to lunch that first day a year ago. She was so lonely and hurting for companionship, she let the gin in her veins guide her reaction.

When he rolled off of her a few hours later, sheets tangled between their legs, she started sobbing. She couldn't stop and Peter nearly drove her to the hospital to see what was wrong. Eventually he drove her home and left her sniveling on her doorstep with a kiss on her cheek. He said good morning to her at the office the next day, but they didn't go to lunch.

And they wouldn't.

Bella often thought about why she cried that night. She had sobbed partly because of what she'd done and partly because she missed Edward. Mostly she sobbed because she'd realized something.

All her life she's grown up thinking that when you made a true friend who was a boy, eventually he would turn into the perfect lover. And when he did, he'd know everything about her. All of her secrets, her dreams and her favorite songs. When they made love it would be like two halves coming together, because as friends that's what they were. Two halves.

Turns out that only happened with Edward.

As she felt Peter moving above her, inside her, whispering into her ear all she could think about was that it wasn't _his_ voice, wasn't _his_ body. Even if Peter became a better friend than Edward, he could never know her and love her the way that Edward did…had.

So she cried.

And even though things didn't work out with Peter, she'd lost him as a friend the same way that she'd lost Edward.

That made her cry even more.

There was a heavy knock on the door and she shot to her feet. Even though he was grown, Emmett insisted on pounding like no one would answer.

She shoved her hands into the pockets of her corduroy pants and waited for the Cullens to file in one by one. Carlisle, Alice, Esme, Emmett…

No Edward.

Her heart flew to her throat and she wanted to scream the question out loud.

_Where was he?_

They hugged Charlie one by one but Alice was the first to see Bella. She hurried over and took her tightly in her arms. "Oh Bella," she sighed.

When Alice pulled back she smiled warmly. "You look wonderful," she said, tugging on one of Bella's curls. The gesture reminded her painfully of Edward.

"So do you," Bella replied, again swallowing the question back.

Alice's eyebrows crumpled and she shook her head sadly. "He's not coming this year," she said in a whisper.

"Oh," was all she could manage.

She didn't want to know why and wasn't even tempted to ask, but as Emmett shook the snow from Rosalie's coat he answered it for her.

"Bastard's in New York with some girl, can you believe it?" he said to Charlie.

_Some girl…_

Alice was still holding Bella's gaze, gripping her arms tightly. She shook her head quickly as if telling Bella not to pay attention to her older brother.

"He could go any time, but he had to pick Christmas," Emmett continued, taking his drink from Charlie and throwing his arm around Rose's shoulder.

"Any time," Bella repeated to herself.

That's when she knew she wouldn't be around next Christmas. She'd come on New Year's instead to spend the night with her dad alone.

Edward hadn't only stood her up on Christmas this year, but he'd broken a promise.

* * *

**A/N: **First of all, I'm sorry. Second of all, even Edward isn't perfect. Third, long distance relationships are hard.

That being said, all good love stories go through ups and downs. Never fear. When have I EVER written (or read) a story without a HEA. Don't be silly.

How about some good news? Instead of getting out of bed this morning, I wrote a new flashback chapter for tomorrow. The OFFICIAL last flashback chapter before we move ahead with these two as adults. It's bittersweet, and indirectly referenced in the end of this chapter. You'll see what I mean tomorrow.

Again, I must say how enjoyable all your reviews have been. I heard so much about everyone's feeling on snow yesterday! Thank you for sharing! And for reviewing. You guys are my favorites.

Be strong until tomorrow. Think about Edward in flannel...at all ages. It helps. xx


	12. Chapter 12

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2002 – age 17**

"Promise me something," she said a little too loudly. She was probably, maybe, actually really drunk. Her voice sounded to _shrill_ in the empty attic.

Edward drained the contents of his glass, stifled a burp and looked her squarely in the face. "Anything."

His voice sent a chill down her spine. It always took her off-guard when he offered her everything without another word.

Bella watched as he reached over to grab the bottle of bourbon they'd stolen from the kitchen to pour a bit more in their glasses. She wondered if this was what his upcoming year would be like. Stolen booze, red plastic cups and empty promises. Suddenly she didn't feel so brave.

The pair was hunched under a sloppily-built, box fort in the attic. There was a flashlight propped between them that illuminated the colorful quilt over their heads. Outside the shelter of their fort, the room was dark and cold. They had snuck up to the attic nearly two hours ago, once the dinner table was cleared. It was nearly time for the Cullens to leave and Bella felt like doing anything to keep them from pulling out of the driveway.

Suddenly she pictured herself wrapped in a quilt, lying behind the Cullen's car on the pebbled drive…

"What am I promising?" Edward prompted, jutting his arm out awkwardly to hand her the refilled glass. Brown liquid splashed over the rim and onto the creaky wooden floor of the attic. He smiled non-apologetically.

She grabbed it out of his hand and held it between her fingers, as though it was a steaming mug of hot cocoa and not smuggled liquor. The gesture felt comforting. After all, this was the last Christmas.

The last Christmas before Edward went away.

"Bella."

"Promise to always come back for Christmas," she blurted out before taking a quick sip of her drink, followed a much longer one.

Edward was watching her with a puzzled look on his face. He blinked his eyes blearily, but held the stare as long as he could. "Why wouldn't I come back? I'm going to Massachusetts not Mars, Bella."

She punched him hard on the arm and Edward giggled like a child. "I _know_ that, I just…I don't know."

He stopped his laughter on a dime and lowered his eyebrows hey way he did when he was trying to be serious. "Bella…there's little you could do to keep me away–"

"But what if you get a girlfriend? Or have an internship? Or like your dorm so much you'll want to stay all winter? What if you want to have parties all of Christmas break instead of coming home?"

Now it was Edward's turn to punch Bella on the arm, but not very hard. "Did you just watch _Animal House_ or something?"

She blushed and then hid behind her glass as she took another long sip. "Dad may have had it on the other night." Bourbon was quite tasty after a while.

"Maybe I should make _you_ promise the same thing," he countered, cocking an eyebrow and smirking his signature smirk.

"Me?" Bella scoffed and flicked the corner of the quilt draped over her lap. "Hilarious."

"Yes you. You have just as much of a right not to come home as I do."

Her voice got very small and she looked down at her mother's quilt. "I'm not going anywhere, Edward. I'll always be here."

She heard the sound of Edward placing his glass on the floor, then watched his long fingers curl around her hands. "That's not true," he said in a voice so sincere, she had to look at him.

They were both one more cup of bourbon away from sloppy drunk, but she had never seen Edward so serious. His cheeks were flushed from the alcohol and the cold, but his lips were pursed into a thin line. His eyes were a vibrant evergreen, and focused so intently on hers, she could see her reflection in them.

"Don't feel, not even for a _second_, that you staying home means anything less than me going away."

Bella couldn't help but sigh. "That's what everyone says. They don't mean it."

He squeezed her hands tighter. "I mean it."

"But I didn't even get into –"

"That doesn't' matter," Edward said, shaking his head. "You didn't really want to go to Brown. You didn't even want to go to Northwestern." Suddenly he grinned. "Fess up. You know why you applied to those."

She hid a smile and rolled her eyes.

"Say it," he trilled, wrapping his fingers around both her wrists and waving her hands around. "Say it!"

Bella laughed. "Fine! I wanted to be closer to you."

Edward pulled both her hands to his face and kissed her knuckles soundly. "And I'm so proud of you for doing that, but I know you want to stay on this coast. I want you to stay here because you love it so much."

Their hands dropped to his lap and he reached over to grab his glass once more. Bella watched as he tipped his head back and emptied it.

"I don't want you to go," she said at last.

Edward lowered his chin back down and watched Bella with his drunk-immune sincerity. "Bella."

"I mean," she mumbled, "I _want_ you to go, because you _should_ go, but I don't want you to go."

Her best friend's face lifted in her favorite smile, and instead of wrapping her in a hug like he normally would, he lifted her glass from the floor and handed it back to her. "Finish this. Right now."

"Jeez," she said, even though she did as he asked.

When she was done, she handed him her cup and he tipped it upside down on the floor like it was an empty shot glass.

"Good," he said. He adjusted his position so that he was on his knees, facing Bella, and gestured with his hand for her to do the same. She did.

Finally, he reached for the flashlight and held it under his chin like he was going to tell a scary story. Only, he didn't tell a story, he made a promise.

"I, Edward Anthony Cullen, promise to come back to this creaky old house–"

"Hey!"

"–to celebrate the holidays with my favorite person in the whole world, every year for the history of forever."

Bella was shaking her head. "You're so drunk."

"_Even_ if there are really good parties at school that I could be going to, or a really hot chick I could be–"

"Stop!"

"–whatever with, I will come back." He moved the flashlight so it was shining on Bella's face instead. "You're the reason I'd come back, Bella Swan."

She blamed the stinging in her eyes on the bright glow of the flashlight and snatched it out of his hand before she actually started crying.

"Under your chin," he prompted and Bella smacked him.

"I, Isabella Marie Swan, promise to come back to my perfect, not-creaky house to celebrate Christmas with my best friend every year, even if I move to Seattle and inherit Starbucks and become a really famous person."

Edward arched a brow. "Even then?"

Bella grinned. "Even then."

He nodded sarcastically. "Damn."

She giggled. "I know." Then she shone the flashlight on his face and he squished his face up in protest. "You're my reason to come back, Edward Cullen."

He smiled wide as she said his name and spread his arms for a hug. She set the flashlight back on the floor and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. They rocked back and forth slightly on their knees as they hugged each other for too long, both unwilling to let go of more than just each other.

When at last Edward pulled back, he tilted his head in the direction of the forgotten bourbon bottle. "How much trouble do you think I'll get in if I show up downstairs, completely shit-faced, with my coat on backwards?"

Bella let her head fall back in laugher. "_So_ much."

"Right," Edward said, reaching over to grasp the bottle neck between his fingers. "Bottoms up!"

* * *

**A/N: **So this is the first...anything...I've written in months and it was really fun. I wanted to a) lead up to the first chapter with the flashbacks b) add another plot element and c) drunk Edward. I know this makes the previous chapter more bittersweet, but I think it's a good moment.

Speaking of last chapter, to those who shared their thoughts thank you! I'm sorry that I had to write some sadness, but you know, real relationships are hard and sometimes things don't go right. There were a lot of assumptions floating around yesterday, I'd like to ask you to reign those in. Also, as a note, I'm moderating anonymous comments, so if you feel the need to be rude, do it under your own name or don't bother. It was really hurtful.

Tomorrow we'll see see some EPOV. Won't say when or where. Enjoy this chapter! xx


	13. Chapter 13

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2009 - Age 24**

"So how did they get you to do this trip on Christmas?" Jane asked, dropping her fork loudly on her plate to unsuccessfully skewer part of her egg-white omelet.

He cringed as he watched her stab the piece three more times before succeeding. People actually turned around in the booth across from them. He cleared his throat and finished buttering his Belgian waffle. "They asked me. I said yes."

He found that it was easier to get Jane to shut up the less he said.

She considered his answer for a moment before taking another loud attempt at her omelet. "But it's Christmas."

Edward closed his eyes and inhaled though his nose slowly. Yes, it was Christmas. That meant the person he cared about most in the world was probably standing heartbroken and confused in her own living room at the moment. He glanced at the watch on his left wrist.

Literally at this moment.

His head dropped slightly. He would have told her. He _should_ have told her. He always told her everything. His absence at the Swan's house this year was a big deal and everyone knew it. Even Alice cried on the phone when he told her. They'd always been together on Christmas.

Another jarring scrape of metal on porcelain drew him out of his thoughts. Right now he was very far from Washington, eating waffles and eggs in an IHOP at eight o'clock at night in New York City. He glared across the table at Jane who was still staring at him expectantly. "What are _you_ doing here on Christmas?" Edward countered, pouring syrup on his plate with a heavy hand.

Jane shrugged her shoulders. The sharp edges of her dress-suit made her look sort of like Cruella DeVille or something. It was red and everything.

"I just broke up with my boyfriend. Home isn't really the place I want to be right now, know what I mean?"

He cursed under his breath. Of _course_ they had that in common.

"I know exactly what you mean," he said softly, bringing the side of his fork down on the waffle with a crunch.

She perked up at the mention of something resembling gossip. "Girlfriend?"

_Girlfriend_. Too small a word. Bella was more than that. Bella was…everything. His throat tightened and he chewed on his bite a little longer than necessary. He nodded.

"Recent?"

Edward shook his head and swallowed. "It's sort of a tricky situation."

Her hands tented under her chin and she raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Was he doing this? He pulled apart more pieces of his waffle. "We're best friends," he started, then paused. "Were? Are? Whatever."

Jane hissed through her teeth. "Been there."

Edward's insides boiled instantly with anger. He felt a surge of protectiveness towards Bella, thousands of miles away. No one had _ever_ had a Bella. No one would ever know what it felt like to lose her.

He forced himself to continue. "Our families do things together every year. She didn't know that I wasn't going to be there."

Now she was nibbling on her flat strips of turkey bacon, eyebrows still raised in interest. The woman was vile. How had they expected him to do a business pitch with her?

Just then his phone beeped and her eyes widened. "Ohmygod. Is that her?" she said, covering her mouth with her hand.

Edward felt sick. It couldn't be Bella. They hadn't talked in…months. A thousand emotions bombarded him at once. Guilt, fear, anger, sadness. He should have called her first. This shouldn't be their first conversation.

He fumbled for his phone in his pocket and nearly dropped it on the restaurant floor before he saw that it was a text from Alice.

_You really messed up_.

He turned off the screen and slid it back in his pocket. That was the understatement of the year. His waffles sat half eaten on his plate before him. He could still taste the syrup on his tongue and was suddenly overwhelmed by a distant memory.

_Bella in one of his oversized t-shirts munching waffles from the breakfast bar. She was smiling smugly as he piled another half burnt one on the plate next to the waffle iron. Just once he wanted to make her breakfast and not mess up._

_"I told you I would do it," she offered._

_"I told you I was making you breakfast."_

_She took another bite and her smile grew wider._

_Edward yanked the plug of the waffle iron sharply out of the wall. Bella arched an eyebrow and he walked around the other side of the bar to stand beside her. She opened her legs and he stepped between them, palms flat on her thighs._

_"You did make me breakfast," she said softly, eyes fluttering._

_He kissed her then, soft and slow while the bacon sizzled on the skillet in the kitchen. She tasted like syrup and Bella._

Now the waffles only tasted like syrup. No Bella.

And he hated it.

"Was it her?"

He looked up sharply from his plate. Jane's eyes were still wide, dull pools of cliché blue. Lately it seemed like every pair of eyes he looked at made him long for Bella's expressive chocolate eyes more and more.

"It was my sister," he answered shortly. Balling the paper napkin in his fist.

"Oh." She sounded disappointed.

They didn't talk for the rest of the meal. Edward couldn't touch another bit of his food and Jane cleaned her plate. When they settled the bill, he held her coat out for her as she tied the scarf around her neck. He shrugged his heavy coat over his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets.

The New York streets were slushy and gray. Steam billowed from the grates in the sidewalk and people rushed past in a continuous stream. This wasn't Forks, not even close.

He looked down to see if Jane had followed him out of the restaurant and flinched when he saw that she was already staring at him.

She was peering at him with squinted eyes, as thought she was trying to figure something out. "Does she know how much you still care about her?" she asked suddenly.

Edward inhaled a sharp breath and felt it burn all the way into his lungs. Did she? At this point, probably not. He did care about her though, and he'd never stop. Breaking up with Bella Swan had been the stupidest thing he'd ever done.

Except for missing Christmas, probably.

* * *

**A/N: **I remember the witfit prompt for this entry was the word "waffle." Mmm. So anyway, here's EPOV at the same time as when Bella realized he wasn't showing up for Christmas.

I want to thank all of you for all of the kind words and support you shared in the reviews yesterday. I try not to get upset by nasties in the comments, but sometimes it's hard. I'll say one more thing about it, and then no more, but only because it's something I want to clarify.

*clears throat and yells loudly like Ross Gellar* THEY WERE ON A BREAK! There was no cheating. I feel like that's something important that slipped between the cracks for many of you.

Also, as with Gettyward, this story especially is a series of snippets. One day out of 365. I am intentionally leaving out details and leaving them to our imagination.

That being said, we're moving on to just this timeline from now on, so tomorrow will be the next year, 2010.

Thanks for all the reviews, support and love. See you tomorrow! xx


	14. Chapter 14

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2010 - Age 25**

It always amazed her how much the quilts reminded her of her childhood, even though they'd been boxed away for years. She plucked absently on a tuft of faded yarn on the blanket and remembered when she watched her mother assemble this quilt from scratch. She pulled it tighter around her shoulders, letting the musty scent of the attic surround and comfort her.

She hadn't been up here in a couple of years. Last year she couldn't bear it. This year she'd passed Christmas and showed up for New Year's, like she promised herself.

Her dad told her that Edward had come for Christmas. She tried to tell him to stop but her heart was lodged in her throat.

_"He looked sad, Bells."_

_She shook her head._

_"I think he wanted to see you."_

_"Yeah, well…I wanted to see him last year."_

He'd stopped pushing it after that.

It was ridiculous that they hadn't talked in over a year and a half. They'd spent the first half of their life together. Every. Day. She had no idea if he went to New York on business or with someone he cared about. She had no idea if he had a girlfriend or still loved his job like he used to. She wanted to call him sometimes just to hear his voice.

She still couldn't do it.

But he didn't call either. He was the one who needed to apologize. Right?

She heard the front door open and close from downstairs and presumed her dad was back from the supermarket. The rustling noises from the kitchen told her she was right. It was the clomping on the stairs that confused her.

And it kept coming.

Higher.

Until it was on the attic stairs.

Tears were in her eyes and she covered her mouth with her hands.

_It wasn't…_

_It couldn't be…_

Copper hair and green eyes climbed through the hole in the floor.

"Bella," he breathed, chest heaving.

She shook her head back and forth, hot trails of salty tears spilling down her cheeks and onto the quilt.

He was standing fours steps from the top, revealed to his waist. He had on a heavy wool coat and was wearing a red and green flannel shirt. It reminded her of the one he wore the first day he came over all those years ago. His hair was a royal mess and still had white flecks of snow in it.

He was better than she remembered.

Always better.

"You're here," he sighed, taking the rest of the steps two at a time.

Her hand reached for him without permission from her brain and he was on his knees at her side. His eyes were wide and curious, lips pressed to a thin line. It was so much like their first afternoon in the attic she could hardly stand it.

The tears kept coming, falling down her neck and onto her shirt. Normally she would be embarrassed, but not in front of Edward. His eyebrows crumpled and she saw his fists clench. The urge to fall into his arms was more intense than ever.

"Why wouldn't _I_ be here?" she said, teeth clenched.

_Be strong. Be strong._

She heard his sharp intake of breath and watched as he closed his eyes and fisted his hands in his hair. "I know, I _know_," he said, voice pained. "It was wrong Bella, I didn't know what to do."

"You should have called." Her pounding heart was giving her strength.

Edward's head shot up and he nodded, eyes intense. "I should have. I know. I should have done a lot of things."

Bella swallowed and looked at him for a moment. His eyes flickered back and forth as he did the same, taking in the parts of their faces that they used to know so well. The skin under his eyes looked baggy and his eyebrows were bushier. The scruff on his jaw was longer than normal. He looked older and more handsome than ever.

"Who was it?" she whispered, asking the question her heart feared the most.

Edward's eyes flashed. "It was work. What did they tell you?" He fisted his hair in his hands again. "Jesus, of course it was work. I would never…not for Christmas, Bella."

She stared back at him. The old wounds in her heart were making her brave but the distance between them was starting to feel too great.

"How am I supposed to know?" she said, voice barely a whisper.

His head nodded up and down, hands still tightly clenched in his lovely copper hair. She watched as a break in the clouds filtered beams of light in through the window. The silver light of winter played in the strands of his hair, highlighting the blond and the brown amidst the bronze. "I know," he repeated with each nod. When he lifted his head, his eyes were red too. "You're not supposed to know, because I never called you."

He reached his hands out slowly and she lifted hers to meet them. Their fingers tangled in knots of warm skin and familiar sensations. The electricity spread up her arms and down her spine until she felt more whole than she had in over a year.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," he whispered, and she saw the tears build in his eyes. "I don't know what else I can say. I think about it _every_ day. I'm just so…sorry."

Without thinking, she tugged on their hands so she could pull herself to her knees. Her arms were around him at once and she felt like part of her broken insides were soldering together again. He gathered her in his arms so tightly she could barely breathe, but she climbed sideways into his lap all the same. The emotions deep in her chest overrode all of the angst in her heart.

She heard her sobs echo in the rafters before she realized she was crying. Edward tangled one hand in her hair at the base of her neck, flexing his fingers slowly. The other moved up and down her back. "I'm so sorry, Bella," he said in her ear. She could hear the emotion in his voice.

"Why didn't you ever call me?" she asked into the fabric of his jacket. He held her tighter.

"I don't know."

She waited a moment before adding, "I didn't call you either."

He nodded into her hair.

Her sobs lessened after a while but he kept rocking and stroking her hair.

"I hate that I've been without you," he whispered.

She sniffed loudly and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. "Not as much as I hate it."

"You're still, are and will always be my best friend."

Bella gripped the front of his shirt. "You're still mine."

He sat back so he could see her face. They were both blotchy, teary messes. She could see the dark shapes of his eyelashes, stuck together with shed tears. "Bella," he sucked in a breath, "can we be friends again? I know there's more to it than that, but _please_. I need you."

She closed her eyes and felt the crease between her brows deepen. He pressed his finger to it. With each moment, the line between their friendship and their history was growing more and more blurred. She tried not to think about it. It felt softer that way, blurred at the edges. It wasn't as though she ever stopped loving him to begin with.

"What are you doing here?" she asked instead of answering his plea. She dragged her palms over her cheeks to brush away her tears.

Edward pulled a face and smiled bashfully. "I came for this. To see you."

"How did you know?"

"Alice told me."

She blinked. "You flew all the way here?"

The color rose in his cheeks. "Er…no. I'm already here. Or, well…in Seattle."

"Business trip?"

Edward shook his head. "No."

"No?"

He took a deep breath, closed his mouth then smirked at her. Secret smile smirk. "I live here now."

The warmth that flooded her body was only part relief and happiness, the rest was pure selfish desire. Edward. Here. For good. She ignored the painful crackle in her heart that they'd grown so far apart, she didn't even know he lived here.

"I hated being so far from my family and from Forks…and from you."

Bella chewed on her lip as they looked at each other. "I hated it too."

The emotion of the moment was suddenly too much and she looked down at the little space that was between them. Within five minutes her entire outlook on the new year was altered. Edward was back and he could be back in her life. What did that mean?

"Bella." His soft voice made her lift her head. His face was soft and sincere. "I want to hear everything about everything," he said, the excitement evident in his voice. "Anything you want to tell me."

She waited for a moment. "But?"

"But I don't want ignore the issues we obviously have to work out. I can't pretend like things are the same after what happened last year. I need…" He swallowed. "I need you to forgive me. Can you?"

Bella climbed off his lap and knelt down before him. Their knees touched.

She reached for his hands and grasped them tightly. The tears filled her eyes again and she nodded before pulling his fingers to her lips and kissing his knuckles. "I forgive you."

She sat up to wrap her arms around him once more, knowing she could never get enough of him now that he was back. She wanted so much more but was too afraid to ask. Maybe soon.

"Can I take you to lunch?" he asked after a moment. "Or do you want to stay here? I could talk to you for hours."

"No, let's go out. It'll keep my from crying."

Edward jutted out his bottom lip in a mocking pout before standing to his feet and pulling Bella with him. "You're sure? I can go and we can talk about this another day." He hesitated for a moment. "We have time."

The thought made her smile. They did have time. Loads of it. No air travel between them. No time zones to consider. She walked towards the stairs and held out her hand. "Let's go."

* * *

**A/N: ** Phewwwwwww. Together again. It was hard when they weren't. Bleh. I hope we can rest a little easier now :)

I unintentionally forgot to mention that after this, there are only 2 written chapters left and no real END end. As is the nature of this story. They've got their whole future ahead of them! Unless I get inspired over the next couple of days (unlikely, seeing as it's the holidays), this story will end on Christmas Day! I won't post tomorrow but I will on Mon and Tuesday at some point. Worked out rather well!

The next chapter is one of my very favorite Edward moments and I'm so excited to share it with you on Christmas Eve. Have a wonderful weekend! xx


	15. Chapter 15

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2011 - Age 26**

"You remember that one Christmas up in the attic?" Edward said lazily, tracing his fingers up and down her arm.

They were lying naked in bed, under a light blanket, covered in a thin sheen of sweat and flushed with happiness and exertion.

Bella laughed a little into his shoulder. "That _one_ Christmas?"

He chuckled with her. "You're right. Okay, let me rephrase. Remember that one Christmas up in the attic where we…hmmm…"

"Did it up against the wall?" she offered with a grin.

She heard Edward let out an indignant sigh. "Well, I was going to be more romantic than that, but yes."

She pressed her lips to his skin. "I remember."

"You said 'forever' when I told you that I loved you."

"I did."

He drew in a deep breath and she snuggled closer, waiting for his words to come. "I never stopped. Ever. Even when we were apart. I need you to know that."

Bella propped herself on her elbow so she could see him fully. His eyes were half closed as he watched her, framed by his ridiculously long, copper lashes. The hair on his forehead was damp and sweaty and his cheeks were flushed.

"I didn't either," she said at last before leaning down to kiss him. He touched her face with his fingertips. "Sometimes I don't think it's possible for us."

"What isn't?"

"To ever stop loving each other."

Edward gave her a crooked smile. "We're one of _those_ couples? We should get Nicolas Sparks to write a novel about us."

Her eyes widened in mock horror. "No! Then one of us would have die or go overseas." She flattened herself on his chest.

He chuckled again, the vibrations echoing in her ear. "We definitely don't want that."

"You know what else I don't want?" she said.

Edward was momentarily distracted with a strand of her hair. "What's that?"

"To go to Dad's today."

"Aw come on," Edward teased. "It's the Cullen-Swan shindig. You know it'll be fun."

She drew her leg higher up on his hip. "Not as fun as other things."

Edward arched a brow. "Have you forgotten the attic?"

Bella pursed her lips in thought. "Been there, done that."

That earned a laugh from Edward and he squeezed her tightly against his chest. "You know I wasn't finished with my train of thought."

He rolled them over so Bella was under his body, pressed much too close for her to listen for very long.

"What were you thinking?"

He gave her a long, lingering kiss that drove every errant thought out of her head.

"I was thinking," he said in a low, gravelly voice, "that this is it."

"What's it?"

"This. Us. It's always been you, but I'm talking about right now. I want this."

Bella sighed happily. "You have this."

"I know, but that's not what I mean."

Her heat started hammering before she realized what was going on.

"Bella, I spent a year without you and it was miserable. In fact, every year I spent without you in my life has been miserable. Even before I met you. They were dark, blurry memories without you. Bella…" he placed a hand on the side of her face and brushed aside the tears that were running down her temples.

Her body was humming with anticipation, heart trilling loudly in her ears.

"I want to marry you."

She heard the small gasp from her lips and had to wrap her head around what he'd just said.

"Edward…"

"You're my best friend and I don't want to be without you. Ever. I've loved you ever since that first day in your attic. The day we shared your mother's quilt and your books with me. I loved you when you thought no one noticed you in high school. I loved you so much it hurt when I had to go away to college."

Her chest buckled with emotion at his words and her chin trembled as her tears fell freely. He brushed them away as he spoke.

"Even when we were apart I loved you. All the time. Every moment." There were tears in his eyes too and she reached up to catch them on her fingers.

"Marry me, Bella. I want a forever with you. A real one."

She was nodding her head repeatedly, blinking to clear her eyes so she could see his face. "Yes," she croaked. "Yes, Edward."

He kissed her then, hard and soft and lovely and _everything_. Their tears mixed on their cheeks and the laughed through their lips. Eventually he pulled away long enough to reach over to the drawer in his beside table to pull out a ring.

"You know how long I've had this?" he asked, eyes sparkling as he held it up between his fingers.

She was momentarily distracted by the glimmer of the diamonds over the flat, oval surface. It was stunning.

"My grandmother left it to me when she passed away."

Bella counted in her head. "Edward," she said, smiling, "you were ten when she died."

"I know."

He reached for her left hand and slid it on the fourth finger. "And I've wanted to give it to you since the moment my mother locked it away."

She fisted her hand so she could feel the pressure of the ring on her fingers. "Edward…"

"Mom knew too. I asked her every year until I knew better."

Bella kissed him.

"You didn't."

"I did. I figured it didn't matter. We wouldn't get married until we were old enough anyway."

She smiled. "We're old enough now."

He nodded proudly. "We are." Edward took a deep breath and let it out in a large sigh. "Bella, you're my one."

Her hands trailed down his face, tracing every line and crease and logging it into her memory. Edward. Her Edward. She felt guilty for not having enough words to tell him how much she loved him. Then she realized that saying yes was all he needed.

"Are we telling them tonight?" she asked, lifting a hand and spreading her fingers. She watched the ring sparkle in the lamplight.

Edward pressed his face to her cheek and she could feel his smile against her ear. "I want to keep it for a little longer. Just us."

Her heart pounded at the thought. "I do too."

They lay in silence for a moment, both watching her hand as she wiggled her fingers back and forth. She could feel Edward's slow breathing on her chest, warm breath and emotion.

"You're right," he said after a while.

"About what?"

He turned his face into her neck and left a series of wet kisses. "I don't want to go to your Dad's either."

Bella giggled as he tickled her with the tip of his nose on her skin. "Attic," she reminded him, lifting her hand and weaving it in his hair.

"Been there," he repeated her earlier words, kissing her skin more meaningfully now.

She gasped and fell pray to his wandering hands, fingertips as gentle and soft as they were the first day he'd touched her face as someone who loved her.

* * *

**A/N: **I've written more proposal scenes than I thought I would in fanfiction, but I think this one is my favorite. Something about him wanting to give her the ring since forever. :)

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! So glad that I can share THIS chapter during the holiday! Tomorrow is the last chapter I have written, and I can tell you now that I won't have time to write more until then so...:) It'll be the end for now.

Thanks for all of your support and reviews! Love you all! xx


	16. Chapter 16

**Here We Are, As In Olden Days**

**December 2013 - Age 28**

When Charlie got arthritis in his knees he planned to sell the house.

_Planned_.

Bella had other ideas.

She knew that Edward wanted to buy a new home for their first, and Edward knew that she was desperately trying to hold on to her mother. He never tried to argue and they both knew why.

There was one part of that house that neither of them could give up.

Even though Forks was too far from Seattle to commute, they packed up their condo in the city and moved their new life to the tiny town where they grew up. The few pieces of furniture they had were dwarfed by the house but they filled the spaces at time wore on. Edward insisted they get a decent couch and Bella made sure they had a table big enough for the family on Christmas.

She insisted on working from the attic, even if it was cold and drafty. When Edward could manage to work from home, he took her old bedroom for the 'time being.' Bella blushed to her toes at the suggestion. They both knew what _'time being'_ meant.

As he worked, she could hear him talking on the phone from her perch upstairs and he could hear the taping of the keys on her laptop. For her birthday that year, Edward whitewashed all of the wood in the attic and built her a desk under the window. The white made it brighter and new. It was the same but it was _theirs_, as it always should have been.

She took the gesture as a sign, and did her best to purge some of the artifacts hidden in the boxes. After many tears and much less convincing than Edward thought, they cleared the room of most of the clutter, confining the boxes to one corner. From then on it was their attic. Completely.

Every day at five o'clock, she would wait for the sound of the creaky stairs being pulled down. She would pretend she didn't hear as he snuck up the steps, bare feet padding on the smooth sanded wood. He would pretend he didn't notice the way she straightened her back when she heard him coming.

Bella would work away until she felt the soft pressure of his hands on her shoulders. They slid down over her arms to her wrists until she was engulfed by the only arms that ever made her feel at home.

"Good evening Mrs. Cullen," he would whisper into her ear, kissing her until she caved and closed the lid of her laptop. Sometimes they went downstairs at once, and sometimes they didn't.

For their first Christmas in the new house, Bella tried to duplicate complicated meal her mother used to make every year. She cooked a rack of lamb and made Yorkshire puddings. For dessert she made a peppermint cake and put aside the ingredients for hot toddies.

At least, that was the _plan_.

The Yorkshire puddings were perfect and the rack of lamb was wonderful, if not a tad overdone. The hot toddies weren't hot enough but no one complained. Finally, dessert turned into a half-eaten pack of Oreos when the whole cake tumbled onto the floor after Edward mistakenly startled her in the kitchen.

While the rest of the Cullens and Charlie munched awkwardly on their chocolate cookies, Edward ran his fingers under Bella's eyes and apologized at least a hundred times.

She was flushed with anger and embarrassment and ready to pummel the crumbs at his face but the way he kissed her hair softened her bit by bit. It reminded her of the days when she used to break her pencils over calculus homework while Edward watched awkwardly from the other end of the sofa.

Edward would sit and listen, then sweep away the shards of her pencils. He would hum and nod until she was done. Now, as the stood amidst a sea of chocolate crumbs, he did the same.

When he pulled away he kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm sorry," he said again, gripping her arms tightly between his long, gentle fingers.

She nodded and let him kiss her lips in the middle of the kitchen.

That night, after everyone left, Edward swept up the remaining stale cake crumbs from the floor and carried Bella up the stairs to the bedroom.

"We're doing it our way next year," she said sleepily, arms loosely slung around his neck. "I'm exhausted."

"Let's make chili," Edward offered, and she laughed.

"That's not Christmassy," she snorted, kissing his neck. "Not at all."

He deposited her gracefully on the foot of the bed and pulled the gaudy Christmas sweater over his head. "So? It's our house." He grinned. "Christmas cornbread and chili. Come on. It's inspired!"

She threw one of her socks at him and he caught it before tossing it in the hamper.

"You know I'm right," he prodded, hands outstretched for her remaining sock.

"Yeah. You are," she agreed, flinging it at his face instead.

They brainstormed about chili recipes as they fell asleep. When Edward was finally silent, and snoring softly, Bella stayed awake. She was too unreasonably excited to close her eyes. Even though her body was exhausted from cooking and entertaining, all she could think about was that they had a futre to plan for. They had a life, and a house and _possibilities. _They had each other.

There was nothing more magic than that.

* * *

**A/N: **First of all, a big, very merry and joyous holiday to you! Thank you so much for sticking with me this month as we took this little journey. I'm so happy to have this down on "paper" for everyone to enjoy.

I'm going to mark this a 'complete' for now, but you never know. Maybe Mistletoeward will pop in for a visit. I'd like to stay hopeful, but I think this may be my last fic for a long while. We shall see.

I know many of you are aching for more stories and more explanations, but I leave that open to you. Boys can be dumb (we know this) and girls can be too (we _definitely _know this). They make mistakes and then mend them. Let's just be thankful that our two little lovebirds worked it out :)

Thanks again for ALL the support and for sharing so many of your Christmas thoughts and memories with me. Here's to a happy 2013!

xx


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